Evenstar (15 page)

“Berith!”
 
Apple put her knee in Lucifer’s stomach.
 
“I’m really sorry, but stop!”
 
She punched him in his wound.

Lucifer let her go and curled into a fetal position, moaning.
 
His eyes unclouded.
 
“I apologize, Appleadris.”

She put an ice pack against his forehead.
 
“It is okay, just try and rest.
 
You can sleep if you want to right?”

Lucifer nodded.
 
His eyes closed and his breathing slowed.
 
Apple mopped his brow.
 
“How close are we?
 
Shouldn’t we have been there by now?”

“There are accidents all along the highway and roadblocks have been established.
 
The highways appear to be down to one lane for dozens of miles, both directions.”

“They can’t stop
us
though.”

Berith pointed to the gridlock in front of them.
 
“I cannot get through regardless of whether we are visible or not.”

Apple grimaced.
 
She took Lucifer’s hand between her own.
 
His skin was scalding and the icepack melted.
 
She undid the wrappings on his chest.
 
Berith watched her, but said nothing.
 
She examined Lucifer’s wound.
 
Unlike Furcas’ it did not rot, but it steamed and burned like acid.
 
Apple sliced her hand open.
 
She let her blood drip into the wound.
 
The steaming stopped.
 
It did not heal, but the heat died down.

Lucifer’s temperature dropped.
 
Apple smiled.
 
Berith looked back.
 
“What happened?”

“I don’t really know, but I think it helped.”

“Wait until he is conscious before you do that again.”
 

She nodded and leaned against the door.
 
“I need to take a nap.”

Berith reached back and squeezed her hand.
 
“Go ahead, I’ll be fine.”

Apple closed her eyes and sank into sleep.
 
Lucifer snored.
 
Berith stared straight ahead.
 

It began to rain.

***

Wednesday

Dahlia, Whitney, Helion, and Andy sat in a circle.
 
They were in an unmarked clearing in the dead of the night.
 
Clouds had rolled in to cover the moon.
 
They stared at a can in the dark.
 

Dahlia yawned and squirmed on the hard ground.
 
“What are we doing again?”

“Waiting.”
 
Andy did not look up.

“Okay, but why are we staring at a can?”

Andy shushed her.
 

Dahlia kicked him.
 
“Don’t shush me.”

“Sorry.”
 
Andy reached out and grabbed the can.
 
He rattled the contents around.
 
He stared in it and turned it over.
 
Two small black stones dropped out.
 
Andy shook himself and glowed silver in the darkness.
 
He examined the rocks.
 
“Crap.”

Whitney looked between Dahlia and Andy.
 
“What’s going on?”

Andy dropped the rocks back into the can.
 
He lost his glow.
 
“These stones are dead.  That means the watch has not come by or the lanes are closed.
 
Either way, it’s not a good sign for us.
 
Fuck
.”

“Why do we need to signal someone?”
 
Dahlia stretched.
 
“Aren’t we headed somewhere specific?”

“Yes, kind of.”

Dahlia stared.
 
“Yes,
kind of
?”

“We need an escort for the last leg of the journey.”
 
Andy pointed to the earth.
 
“This is the spot you meet up with one.”
 

Dahlia rubbed her hands together to keep warm.
 
“And we can’t signal one because the stones are dead.
 
Can’t we call in some other way?”

“I don’t have the ability to do so.”

“Then why don’t we wait for this watch you mentioned?”

Andy grimaced.
 
“I don’t think there is one anymore.”
 
He scowled at the tree line.
 
“I should have known.”

Dahlia scooted closer.  “Known what?”

“I didn’t feel the lanes nearby, but I assumed they moved because I’m an idiot.”

“What are they?”

“Magical roads essentially.  They lead to fortified outposts, which have portals to the City.  In times of strife they close to prevent security breaches.”  He glanced over at her.
 
“Closing the lanes is a cut your losses action.
 
The outpost portals shut off and that leaves everyone outside stranded there.
 
The Lilliam do not close the lanes unless something serious is happening, whatever that is probably has the watch’s attention.
 
I think we’re on our own.”

Helion stood up and spread his wings.
 
“I’ll go look.”

“No.”
 
Andy waved him back down.
 
“The Lilliam will mistake you for an angel and attack you or flee.
 
We stay together and figure this out together.”

Whitney nodded.
 
“Splitting up always gets people killed in horror movies.”

“Well we might as well be in one, so yet another reason to stick together.
 
You two try and get some sleep.
 
I’m taking first watch.”
 
Andy slipped into the darkness.

Dahlia shivered.
 
She only wore a tank top and pajama pants.
 
Helion motioned her over.
 
“Come here.”
 
He dropped to the ground and lay on his back.

Dahlia and Whitney crawled over.
 
He pulled them close and wrapped them in his wings.
 
Dahlia sighed and glanced across Helion’s chest to Whitney.
 
“This is cozy.
 
Hope you don’t mind, Whitney, but your boy toy is comfy.
 
I don’t think I’m giving him back.”

Whitney smiled in the darkness.
 
“Whatever.
 
You’re going to run to Lucifer when you see him next time.
 
Everything will be all sunshine and flowers.
 
You won’t even remember poor Helion and I.
 
I’d be surprised if you remembered
any
of us after all this.”

“The others.”
 
Dahlia cringed.
 
She looked at Whitney.
 
“Fuck, I’m sorry for getting you involved.
 
If I had known I
never
would have let any of you near them.”

Whitney shook her head.
 
“I’m happy to be here.”
 
Dahlia raised an eyebrow.
 
Whitney poked Helion’s chest.
 
“No, I’m serious.
 
Right now, I would be sleeping in my bed thinking about going to work tomorrow.
 
But now I have my own guardian angel, and my best friend is a
something
.”

Dahlia closed her eyes.
 
“That’s me, the something.”

Helion wrapped an arm around Whitney.
 
“You’re the Primangel of matter, Dahlia.
 
You were the first something, I think.”
 
He smiled.
 
“Yes, literally the first something.
 
That is funny, the first something.”
 
Dahlia and Whitney laughed.

Andy hissed in the darkness.
 
“Are you three trying to call in anyone that’s nearby?
 
I can hear you from a ways away.

Whitney clapped a hand over her mouth.
 
“We’re being bad!”

Dahlia laughed into Helion’s shoulder.
 
“Uh-oh, angry Andy!”

Andy pulled Helion’s wings apart and glared at the three of them.
 
He pointed at Helion.
 
“
You
know this is important.
 
Start acting like it.”
 
Andy looked at Dahlia.
 
“You are being hunted by the most evil things in existence, and people’s lives are on the line here.
 
Start taking this seriously!”

Dahlia’s chin trembled.
 
“I am, but if I can’t laugh every so often I’m going to have a panic attack.
 
I’m sorry, I’m stressed out.”

“I—yeah I know.”
 
Andy’s expression softened.
 
“I’m worried,
really
worried.
 
I do not see any recent signs of travel through here.
 
I’m actually starting to think we shouldn’t stop and rest at all.”

The three sat up.
 
Helion cocked his head and sniffed.
 
He launched into the air.
 
Andy grabbed Dahlia and Whitney and pulled them into the shadows.
 
Helion circled three times and dropped into the tree above their heads.
 

Andy looked up.
 
“What is it?”

“Smoke on the wind, but I did not see any fire.”

Andy glowed silver so that Dahlia and Whitney could see his face.
 
“If anything bad happens, you two are staying together and running like hell in the opposite direction.
 
Understood?”

They nodded.
 
Andy tossed Whitney to Helion.
 
He picked Dahlia up.
 
“If the lanes are closed, the outpost will have dropped into regular space.
 
Though devoid of its portal it might still give us clues as to what happened.
 
We go there
cautiously
.
 
Helion, I need your eyes on the lookout.
 
Can you see well in the dark?”

Helion tapped his black eye.
 
“This one can.”

Andy looked at Dahlia.
 
“Get some rest.
 
We might not have time for awhile.”
 
He took off running.
 

Helion pumped his wings and flew into the air.
 
He followed Andy, his eyes tracking every movement below.
 

Dahlia closed her eyes and forced sleep to come. Sleep came and with it dreams.

She was enveloped in darkness, but there was no pain.
 
It was not the darkness of the prison.
 
She felt wonderful, strong, encased in warm velvet.
 
It was the darkness of before, of the space separate.
 
She was in Hell.

LADRIAM.

Dahlia whirled around, but saw nothing in the darkness.

LADRIAM, COME BACK.
 
I AM READY TO FORGIVE IF YOU REPENT.
 
COME BACK SO WE CAN BE ONE AGAIN.
 
COME TO ME.

Dahlia refused to answer; it was not a nice voice.
 
It was a command.
 
She fled to the recesses of her realm.
 
She clawed her way towards consciousness.
 
She forced herself awake as the sun rose.
 
She scratched at Andy’s face.
 

He dodged her fingers.
 
“Nightmares?”

Dahlia blinked.
 
“A new one.”

He glanced down at her.
 
“Do you remember it?”

“Unfortunately.”
 
Dahlia shuddered.
 
“He was talking to me.”

“Who?”

“I think it was God.”

Andy dropped her.
 
“
What
?”

“
Thanks
, Andy.”
 
Dahlia rubbed her butt.
 
“I don’t know for sure that it was God.
 
It asked me to
repent and come to Him
.”
 
She copied his voice.
 
“That sounds kind of godly.”

Andy looked around.
 
“Did you respond?”

“Hell no!
 
I got the hell out of, well,
Hell
.”

“Does He know where you are?”

“I don’t think so.
 
I didn’t get the impression it could find me, hence the asking to come back.”
 
Dahlia brushed off her clothes.
 
“Is it a He by the way?
 
It sounded like a guy.”

Andy looked away.
 
“Yes, I think.
 
Do not speak to Him at all, ever.
 
Understand?
 
Never.”